From research to commerce

As Canada struggles to find its place in today's global knowledge economy, a new mantra has emerged that politicians and policy makers are hoping will guide the actions of government, industry and academia. "Commercialization" has gained currency in policy circles as a key factor in Canada's future success. This paper argues that current policy discussions of commercialization are overly focused on "technology push" and neglect the most important ingredient for success in a knowledge economy - people who have the required combination of technical and commerce skills to provide value in a traded economy.